


The Party Outside

by SolarEclair



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Panic Attack, Party, Weed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 12:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18031469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarEclair/pseuds/SolarEclair
Summary: Sal knew Larry wanted to go to the party, so Sal said he would go, but all he want's to do is go home. Sal hides away in the bathroom and hopes it will all end, but someone knocks on the door to bring him out of his head.





	The Party Outside

         Sal couldn’t tell if the music had any lyrics, it felt like everything was being drowned out so that he could only feel the song. The music pounded and pulsed, he could feel his chest ache with the bass. He pressed his hands against his shirt trying to make room for his heart so it wouldn’t burst. He remembered seeing Ashley and he knew she had said something about trying to find Todd and Neil before she left. But that was a while ago and if he didn’t move from the piller people were going to start to wonder about him. His prosthetic didn’t do him too many favors, a couple of girls already asking him if he was performing or creeping around.

         He should have told Larry he didn’t want to come, but when Ashley and Todd said yes, how could he say no? He knew that if he stayed behind Larry would have too, and Larry had been talking about this thing for a while. He would have felt like a complete ass if he had made Larry stay behind, not that Larry would say anything. He never said anything. He wanted Sal to feel comfortable and not alone. With his father’s drinking now, it was getting harder to stay in his room.

         His father never hurt him, of course, but he could hear him at night, crying over the picture of Sal’s Mom. He felt the pain in his eyes when Sal would walk in without his mask. Now Sal always wore it, because at least with the mask on, his dad would look at him.

         Suddenly he was pushed to the side, he turned, half expecting to see Travis glaring at him, but was surprised to see a drunken girl making out with someone from his math class. She turned around and looked at Sal in surprise, “Shit, sorry.”

         Sal just shook his head, “It’s fine.”

         She laughed as the guy began kissing her neck, her drink bobbing precariously back and forth in her hand. Sal took this as an opportunity to step away, but before he could get far enough, her drink finally breached the rim, spilling over onto Sal’s shoes.

         Sal looked up, nearly expecting some kind of response, but she was too invested in the boy. Sal just sighed and stepped away from the sickly sweet mess. He looked around the room, the lights flashed leaving shadows in his eye, but soon he found a door that would hopefully be the bathroom.

         As he walked over he could feel the squish of his socks, mixing with the light sticking of his shoes on the linoleum. He silently cursed whoever decided to put holes in the bottom of converse and briefly considered writing them a letter. But that would have to be later, as his current problem was more pressing by the minute.

         He went up to the red rimmed door and gently knocked, hoping that anyone using the room would be quick. But he heard no response so he turned the knob gently, feeling no halt from a lock and quickly slid into the room without turning on the light. Once the door clicked closed, he leaned back against the door, feeling the reverberations of the music on his back.

         Why couldn’t he just enjoy a stupid party? Why did something like this make him feel like the most uncomfortable human being alive? All he wanted was for Larry to have a night he could enjoy, but for some reason he just can’t let himself go. He didn’t know what to do and he wished against all hope that maybe he could have fun. If only he wasn’t so consciously aware of all they eyes on him that he just wanted to curl up in a ball and hide.

         “Fuck.” He put his face in his hands, feeling the soft curve of his mask. He gently rubbed the corners trying to distract himself from his heart beating just a little too fast. If he didn’t calm down soon he was sure he would burst.

         He looked up and flicked on the lights, he didn’t wait for his eye to adjust to the light before he moved to the mirror. Little lights danced around his vision, and for a moment he wished he was back on the fifth floor with Megan. But he promised Larry he would spend some time with actual living people tonight.

         “That’s sure going well.” He laughed cynically.

         He cursed himself, he needed to focus at one thing at a time. He pulled out the laces on his shoes, the smell of the girls drink burning his nostrils. He slid off his shoe and pulled at his sock, dropping both in the sink with a splat.

         The bathtub would probably be better for his foot, then he wouldn’t have to contort himself onto the sink. So he sat on the edge of the tub, and tried to ignore the distinct mold growing at the edges. The tap came up cold, but quickly ran warm, he put his foot under the water and looked at the ceiling.

         There was something strangely cathartic about cleaning your foot. It felt like you were relaxing somewhere special and not in some strangers bathroom with shitty techno beating down the door. He wondered for a moment if Ash or Todd might notice him gone, it would probably be for the best if they didn't. Then he wouldn’t have to assure them he was fine. Then he wouldn’t have to lie.

         The music was getting louder and more aggressive, he could have sworn he heard his own name a couple times. But it was probably just in his head.

         Wait, no that was definitely his name. He stood up, one foot still soaking in the tub, and listened closer to the noise.

         Mostly it was muffled grumbles but there was no mistaking it when he heard, “Sal, dude, I gotta go.”

         That was Larry’s voice, no mistaking it. Sal walked over to the door, ignoring his wet footsteps across the floor, and opened to see Larry grinning like a fool.  
  
         “Hey man,” He stepped in as Sal stepped to the side, “sorry. I saw you come in and you never came back out.”

         Sal motioned to his foot, “Cleaning up.”

         Larry cocked his head but decided against asking, “You mind if I commandeer the toilet?”

         Sal shook his head, “Nah, go ahead.”

         Larry smiled as Sal walked to the sink and took a look at his shoes. The blue of his sneakers was turning a dark brown, whatever that girl had been drinking was staining his shoes. Sal turned on the sink and began scrubbing at the stain, hoping that his shoes might be dry before he leaves, but he knew that was a pipe dream.

         He heard Larry finish up, and as he walked to the door he expected him to just go back to the party but he was surprised when he heard the click of the lock. Sal looked up at Larry, questions in his eyes.

         "Party’s kind of a lot.” Was all he said.

         Sal dropped his shoe in the sink, “No man, you don’t have to-”

         Larry just shook his head, “Look, I just need a break is all. Wanna join me?”

         Sal looked at him, he wanted to tell him to just go back out and have fun. That Larry didn’t need to worry because he would be fine. But something in his chest finally felt lighter, and Sal didn’t want to let that go.

         Larry sat next to the tub and began rummaging through his pockets. Sal took a seat next to him, pulling his knees up to his chest.

         “I knew I had it!” Larry said as he produced an artfully wrapped joint. “Here, I’ll get it started.” Larry popped it in his mouth and began clicking his blue green lighter.

         “I’m sorry.”

         Larry looked up, pulling the joint out of his mouth, “Dude, why?”

         “I wanted you to have fun tonight, and I always ruin stuff like this.” Sal couldn’t bring himself to look at Larry anymore, he just shoved his face between his knees.

         Larry gently wrapped his arm around Sal’s small frame, “Dude, I have fun when I’m hanging out with you.”

         Sal could feel his eyes burning. He didn’t move.

         “I don’t care about the party, as much as I’d rather be with you.” His voice was soft and gentle.

         Sal finally looked up, tears brimming his eyes, “No, you don’t have to make me feel better.”

         Larry shook his head, smiling, “I’m not, I’m just being honest.” He put the joint back in his mouth and lit it with ease. “I wanted to come to the party, sure, but I only wanted to go if I could have you with me.”

         Sal just shook his head, “That’s my point, I wanted to do something for you!”

         Larry looked at Sal, watching his eye. Sal could see the gears turning in his head, “Shit.” He turned away as he pulled at the joint, “How do I put this?” when he looked back at Sal he smiled softly once again, “Dude, I want to hang out with you. If that means in a ghost bathroom or a party bathroom, I don’t care. I just want to be with you.”

         “But the party - “ Sal began, but was quickly cut off by a wave of Larry’s hand.

         “Fuck this party, it’s super lame.” He offered the joint to Sal, “Besides they have shit taste in music.”

         Sal couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up, he took the joint and unclipped the bottom of his mask, “Thanks.”

         “Anytime.”

         Sal pulled at the joint, his chest feeling full and yet lighter than ever. As he exhaled, he watched the smoke drift slowly toward the ceiling, “Where are the others?”

         Larry shrugged and leaned onto Sal’s shoulder, “I think Todd and Neil are off in someone’s room, and Ash has been dancing with some girl most of the night.”

         Sal felt clear, he released his legs and pushed them out, clicking his shoe and foot together. “Chug and Maple never came?”

         Larry shook his head and scooted over and laid his head on Sal’s open lap, “I think they went to see a movie or something.”

         Sal offered the joint back to Larry, “I like them together, Maple’s nice to him.” As Larry took it, Sal weaved his fingers in his long brown hair. It was soft and smelled like cranberries.

         “Yeah,” he said as he took a hit.

         The bathroom almost fell away from the two of them, they just floated in a liminal space, as if they were the only people in the world. Just a thin wall separated them from the world, with only the distant music of the party outside to remind them.

         Larry watched Sal and laughed, seemingly at nothing.

         Sal smiled and looked at him, “What?”

         Larry reached up and twisted a strand of Sal’s blue locks, “You’re eyes are like the stars, Sally.”

         Sal shared his laugh, “That’s gay, dude.”

         “Yeah.” Larry closed his eyes, humming along to a tune in his head.

         Sal took Larry’s hand out of his hair but didn’t let go, “Larry-face?”

         His eyes stayed closed, but Sal knew that Larry was listening, “Hm?”  

         It was getting hot under Sal’s prosthetic, so he unclipped the last strap, and pulled it from his face. He wiped the tears and sweat away and looked down at Larry, “Thanks.”

         Larry opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Sal without his mask, “Anytime, baby blue.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> This was just something that got stuck in my head and I wanted to share.  
> Please let me know what you think and I always appreciate ways to help me improve my writing!


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